Gangotri Temple

One of the four sites of the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit (with Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, the latter two already in this directory), Gangotri marks the traditional seat of the goddess Ganga, whom tradition holds descended to earth here after Shiva released the river’s force through his matted hair to soften its fall. The present temple structure is credited to the Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa in the early 19th century, with restoration work later in the century; it sits near, but not at, the actual Gangotri Glacier, the Bhagirathi river’s true source, which lies further upstream. The Bhagirathi flowing from here joins the Alaknanda at Devaprayag (also in this directory) to form the Ganges proper. Like the other Char Dham sites, the temple is seasonally closed each winter.